CLEAN ROOM DISPENSER FOR DISPOSABLE PROTECTIVE PRODUCTS

Abstract

A product dispenser for dispensing a disposable protective product from a from a bag or container of disposable protective products. The dispenser includes an enclosure having four sidewalls, one of which includes a slot for viewing the disposable protective products. A floating control plate includes an aperture, wherein the aperture is configured to dispense a cleanroom wipes from the bag of cleanroom wipes. The cleanroom wipes are located within the enclosure and beneath the floating control plate.

Claims

1. A product dispenser for dispensing a disposable protective product from a plurality of disposable protective products contained within a product carrier having a thickness, the product dispenser comprising: a container including a base, and at least one sidewall having an exterior surface and an interior surface defining an interior of the container, wherein the at least one sidewall includes a sidewall aperture configured to expose the interior of the container; a floating control plate configured to fit within the container, the floating control plate including a plate aperture, wherein the plate aperture is configured to enable removal of one of the plurality of disposable protective products contained within the product carrier.

2. The product dispenser of claim 1 wherein the container includes one of cylinder having an open end or a polyhedron having an open end.

3. The product dispenser of claim 1 wherein the container includes an interior perimeter defined by the interior surface and the floating control plate includes a plate perimeter, wherein the plate perimeter is less than the interior perimeter.

4. The product dispenser of claim 3 wherein the interior perimeter is identified by a plane substantially perpendicular to the base.

5. The product dispenser of claim 4 wherein the plate perimeter is less than the interior perimeter to enable the floating control plate to move substantially parallel to the base as one or more of the plurality of disposable protective products are pulled from the plurality of disposable protective products and through the plate aperture.

6. The product dispenser of claim 5 wherein the plate perimeter being less than the interior perimeter defines a perimetral gap located between the plate perimeter and the interior perimeter.

7. The product dispenser of claim 6 wherein the perimetral gap is greater than the thickness of the product carrier.

8. The product dispenser of claim 1 wherein the floating control plate includes a weight configured to enable dispensing of the disposable protective products arranged as bulked packed wipes.

9. The product dispenser of claim 8 wherein the plate aperture defines a closed curve.

10. The product dispenser of claim 9 wherein the closed curve includes one of an oval or a circle.

11. The product dispenser of claim 1 wherein the floating control plate includes an aperture and a weight configured to enable dispensing of the disposable protective products arranged as interleaved dry wipes.

12. The product dispenser of claim 11 wherein the closed curve includes a central aperture defining a first curved side and a second curved side, a first closed end extending from the first curved side and the second curved side, and a second closed end extending from the first curved side and the second curved side.

13. The product dispenser of claim 12 wherein the first closed end includes a first three sided end with right angles and a second three sided end with right angles.

14. The product dispenser of claim 1 wherein the container includes a first part and a second part operatively connected to the first part wherein the first part defines with the second part the sidewall aperture.

15. The product dispenser of claim 14 wherein the first part includes a first part base and the second part includes a second part base.

16. The product dispenser of claim 15 wherein the first part and the second part each include an inside surface comprising a smooth or polished surface.

17. The product dispenser of claim 16 wherein the first part and the second part each include an outside surface which includes a gripping surface.

18. The product dispenser of claim 17 wherein the gripping surface includes a grain pattern.

19. The product dispenser of claim 1 wherein the container includes one or more supports extending from at least one sidewall and configured to secure the product carrier to the at least one sidewall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a product dispenser for providing wipes

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a wipe enclosure of a product dispenser.

[0033] FIG. 3A shows a top view of one embodiment of a wipe enclosure of a product dispenser.

[0034] FIGS. 3B and 3C shows a perspective view of a first and second part used to complete an enclosure of a product dispenser.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of a wipe control plate of a product dispenser.

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an enclosure of a product dispenser including a bag of wipes.

[0037] FIG. 6 shows perspective view of a of an enclosure including a bag of wipes and a wipe control plate.

[0038] FIG. 7 shows top plane view of a of an enclosure including a bag of wipes and a wipe control plate.

[0039] FIG. 8 shows perspective view of a of an enclosure including a bag of wipes and a wipe control plate with the bag attached to an enclosure.

[0040] FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of a dispenser for dispensing disposable products configured as interleaved dry wipes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The embodiments of the present disclosure described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a product dispenser 10 to dispense clean room wipes. The clean room wipe dispenser 10 includes a wipe dispenser enclosure 12 having four sides 14, one of which, side 14A includes a slot 16 which extends from a top edge 18 of side 14A to a bottom portion 20 of side 12A. See also FIG. 2. The clean room wipe dispenser 10 also includes a wipe control plate 22 having four sides 24 each of which includes a length sufficient to enable the wipe control plate 22 to fit within a space defined by the four sides 14 of the wipe enclosure 12. The wipe control plate 22 is a free-floating control plate or cover that moves within the enclosure 14 and which sits upon a pile or stack of wipes. The wipe control panel includes an aperture 26 through which wipes are dispensed to a user who removes or pulls a wipe through the aperture 26 from the pile of wipes located beneath the wipe control plate 22. While FIG. 1 discloses a generally square dispenser, other shapes of dispenser are included such as cylinders, polyhedrons, and rectangular. In one embodiment, the wipes are bulk packed wipes having a random orientation. In other embodiments the wipes or other protective products include a predetermined orientation.

[0043] A perimeter of the control plate is less than an interior perimeter of the enclosure 12 to enable the floating control plate to move substantially parallel to a base of the enclosure 12 as one or more of the plurality of disposable protective products are pulled from the plurality of disposable protective products and through the plate aperture. A gap is defined between perimeter of the control plate and the interior of the enclosure having a sufficient width to enable a product carrier of protective products to be located within the gap. The product carrier, such as the bag, includes a thickness and the gap is larger than the thickness to enable the product carrier to be disposed with the gap.

[0044] In one or more embodiments, the wipe control plate 22 is formed of 316 grade stainless steel. The wipe control plate 22 includes a predetermined weight selected to float yet heavy enough to allow only one wipe to be pulled from the collection of wipes located below the wipe control plate 22. If the plate is too heavy, it would be difficult to retrieve a single wipe and if too light, the wipe being pulled would lift wipe control plate 22, which may prevent a single wipe from being dispensed.

[0045] While the present disclosure discusses an exemplary embodiment of dispensing cleanroom wipes to a user, the present disclosure is not limited to dispensing wipes and includes dispensing other types of disposable protective products. For instance, other embodiments include dispensing gloves used in a clean room environment. Also, the present disclosure is not limited to uses in a clean room, but other uses are contemplated, such as using the dispenser in a manufacturing setting where wipe or gloves are used. Wipes and gloves may be formed of materials such as cotton, polyester, or cotton-polyester blends. Other materials are contemplated.

[0046] As seen in FIG. 2, a bottom portion 30 of the dispenser enclosure 12 includes four parts 32 each of which extends from a corresponding side 14. The wipe control plate 22 is not illustrated. Each of the parts 32 is generally perpendicular to a plane of a sidewall 14 and defines an opening 34. The parts 32 extend toward the opening 34 and provide a support base to hold a package or bag of wipes. Consequently, the bag of wipes does not fall through the bottom of the dispenser enclosure 12, which is particularly advantageous for mounting the clean room dispenser 10 on a wall. As described herein, the bag may also be identified as a product carrier. In one ore more embodiments, the product carrier includes a thickness that may selected based on, for instance, a weight of the wipes contained therein.

[0047] At least one of the sides 14, such as side 14B, includes one or more wall supports 36. In one embodiment as illustrated, the wall support 36 includes a hole that extends through the side 14B to accommodate a wall mount, not shown, that extends through the hole to support the dispenser 10 on a wall, for instance. In other embodiments, the wall support 36 is not a hole, but instead includes a support coupled to an outside surface of the side 14B. While two wall supports 36 are illustrated, in other embodiments, one or more wall supports are included and may be located on one or more of the walls 14. In one embodiment, each of the sides 14 include an exterior side having a gripping surface, such as a grain pattern, to reduce or prevent the enclosure from having a slippery surface. In some embodiment, each of the sides 14 include a surface which is smooth or polished to reduce or prevent the plate 22 from being caught as it moves within the enclosure during dispensing of product.

[0048] As further shown in FIG. 2, one or more package supports 38 extend from side 14C. Each of the package supports 38, in one embodiment, include a stud coupled to the side 14C and which extends from a surface of the side 14C. The package supports 38 are located on one of the sides 14 other than the side 14B to provide a connecting location to connect a container holding the wipes. For instance, if the wipes are contained in a bag, top edges of the bag may be folded over and held in place by the package supports 38. In one embodiment, the bag may be pushed over the support 38, so that the support 38 extends through the bag thereby holding the bag in place.

[0049] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C show one embodiment of the dispenser enclosure 12 with measurement and manufacturing criteria. While FIGS. 3A to 3C show an exemplary construction of the dispenser enclosure 12, other constructions are contemplated. As seen in FIG. 3A, the dispenser enclosure includes two supports 38 located at side 14 and two supports 38 located at a side 14D. Each of the sides 14 include a width of eight (8) inches. The slot 16 includes a width of one (1) inch. To complete the exemplary embodiment, the dispenser enclosure 12 includes a first part 40 of FIG. 3B and a second part 42 of FIG. 3C. The first part 40 is made of a single sheet of stainless steel having bends 43 to provide side 14B, side 14C, and a portion 44 of side 14A. Bends 43 also provide side parts 32. A height of the sides 14 is nine (9) inches in one exemplary embodiment. Side parts 32 include a width of one (one) inch.

[0050] The second part 42, when attached to the first part 40, completes the dispenser enclosure 12 and includes the side 14D and a portion 46 of the side 14A. Each of the portions 44 and 46 includes a width of three and one half (3.5) inches in the exemplary embodiment. A weld is made at an edge 48 of first part 40 and an edge 50 of second part 42. First part 40 and second part 42 include holes 52 to receive a threaded stud 53, one of which is shown. In one embodiment, the stud 53 includes a shaft 54 terminated by a head 54. The head 54 may include a dimension larger than the shaft 53. The threaded stud is threaded into the hole 52 flush with an inside surface 56 of each of the first and second part 40 and 42 and are fuse welded at the inside surface. The inside surfaces are generally smooth or polished to receive a container of wipes and the outside surface includes a grain pattern which provides a gripping surface for a user or installer.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of the wipe control plate 22. A length of the sides 24, in one embodiment is 7.5 inches and the aperture 26 includes a diameter, D, of two and one quarter (2.25) inches. In some embodiments, the aperture 26 includes a closed curve defining a circle, an oval, or other closed configurations

[0052] FIG. 5 illustrates a first step or first state of the dispenser 10 being prepared to dispense wipes from a product carrier or bag 60 of wipes 62. In this illustration the bag of wipes has been opened and placed in the dispenser enclosure 14, such that the bag 60 is in an opened condition. In one embodiment, wipes 62, located in the bag 60, are not stacked or organized in an orderly fashion. The wipes are instead randomly placed in the bag without the need for being organized in a particular way. The randomly placed wipes 62 can be dispensed through and pulled from the aperture of the 26 of the wipe control plate 22. The size of bag 60 is known and typically remains the same from one bag of wipes to the next. The enclosure 12, therefore, is configured to accept a certain size of bag or a range of sized of bags for being dispensed. Bags of different sizes, therefore, may require enclosures of different sizes.

[0053] These bags are configured to fit within the enclosure 12 to accommodate relatively unencumbered movement of the wipe control plate 22. The bags are not too small, where the wipe control plate won't fit within the bag 60, and not too large where the bag will bunch-up and prevent the floating cover from floating downward on top of the wipes. The bags are also configured so that the bag easily attaches to the package supports 38. In one embodiment, the bags 60 are made of two (2) mil polyethylene gusseted bags. In some embodiments, the bag of wipes are double bagged. An inner bag includes a tie closing and an outer bag, located around the inner bag, includes a heat sealed closure. To dispense wipes, the outer bag is removed prior to placing the bag of wipes in the enclosure 12. In other embodiments, the outer bag is not removed and is located with the inner bag in the enclosure 12.

[0054] Top edges 64 of the bag 60 are pulled in an upward direction 66 to exposes the wipes prior to placing the wipe control plate 22 on top of the wipes 62. While the lengths of each of the four sides 24 of the wipe control plate 22 are selected to fit within the space of the enclosure 12, the lengths of the four sides 24 is also determined based on the thickness of the bag 60. The side lengths 24, therefore, are selected to define a sufficient space between the inside surface of the walls 14 and the sides 24 to enable the bag to be pulled in the upward direction 66 without the bag being significantly restricted. Once the top edges 64 of the bag have been pulled sufficiently in the upward direction 66, the wipe control plate 22 is placed on top of wipes as seen in FIG. 6. The wipe control plate 22 sits on top of the wipes and is located within the bag 64. The slot 16 exposes the wipes located in the bag 64 so that the user can determine the amount of remaining wipes.

[0055] FIG. 7 illustrates a top down view of the dispenser 10 including the wipe control plate 22 located on top of the wipes 62. In this state of the dispenser 10, wipes 62 can be pulled through the aperture 26 if desired. To facilitate dispensing or removal of the wipes 62 from the dispenser 10, edges 64 of the bag 60 are pulled down around the wipe enclosure 12 and the package supports 38. Once the bag 60 has been pulled down sufficiently, around the package supports 38, the bag 60 is pushed onto the supports 38 which punctures the bag. The bag 60 is held in an open condition to reduce the likelihood of the bag 60 interfering with removal of the wipes 62. Pulling the sides of the bag 60 taut and securing the bag sides to the supports 38 maintains the bag 60 in an open condition. This condition also reduces interference between the bag 60 and the wipe control plate 22 as the control plate 22 moves towards the bottom of the wipe enclosure 12 with dispensing of the wipes. In another embodiment, the bag 60 is pulled down around the outside of the wipe enclosure 12 and the stud 53. The bag 60 is pushed onto the stud 53, past the head 55, which makes a hole in the bag such that the bag contacts the shaft 54. Once the bag 60 is located on the shaft 54, the larger head 55 helps maintain the location of the bag during removal of the wipes.

[0056] FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of a dispenser 68 disposable products configured as interleaved dry wipes 70. The dispenser 68 includes an enclosure 72 including a slot 74 configured to enable removal of dry wipes 70 from the dispenser 68. The slot 74 is configured to expose a stack of the interleaved dry wipe 70 which enables a user to determine an amount of wipe remaining in the stack. A wipe control plate 76, includes a generally rectangular configuration which includes dimensions which are similar to or coincide with rectangular dimensions of a rectangular dimension of one of the interleaved dry wipes. The wipe control plate 76 includes an aperture 78 defining a first curved side 80 and a second curved side 82, a first closed end 84 extending from the first curved side 80 and the second curved side 82, and a second closed end 86 extending from the first curved side 80 and the second curved side 82.

[0057] In one embodiment, the wipe control pate 76 and enclosure 72 are formed of stainless steel. Other materials are contemplated. In one or more embodiments, the wipe control plate 76 is formed of 316 grade stainless steel. The wipe control plate 76 includes a predetermined weight selected to float yet heavy enough to allow only one wipe to be pulled from the collection of wipes located below the wipe control plate 76. If the plate is too heavy, it would be difficult to retrieve a single wipe and if too light, the wipe being pulled would lift wipe control plate 76, which may prevent a single wipe from being dispensed.

[0058] In one embodiment, the dry wipes 70 are provided within a product carrier. The product carrier extends from a top of the enclosure at a gap located between the wipe control plate 74 and an interior surface of the enclosure 72 such as previously described. Package supports 86 are coupled to and extend from exterior surfaces of sides of the enclosure 72. While four package supports 86 are shown, other numbers or other types of supports are contemplated and may be located at other locations of the enclosure 72.

[0059] While exemplary embodiments incorporating the principles of the present disclosure have been disclosed hereinabove, the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.